One of the hardest things you can ever do in work, is approach your boss to ask for more money. It is the stuff of nightmares for a lot of the workforce, something to be dreaded and feared. However, it doesn’t need to be this way at all. There are some tips you can follow, that may just result in you getting that all important boost to your finances – and we all know how even just a little extra these days can make such a big difference to families out there.
It’s All in the Ask!
First of all – if the raises haven’t been dished out all round your workplace as of late, then you will have to take matters into your own hands. After all, if you don’t ask, you don’t get! But, how you ask is just as important. You want to be able to demonstrate your value to the company, and be prepared to show the difference your being there in the company has made.
Prepare the Evidence:
Being armed with a little evidence in support of your claims is never a bad thing. It may be that your boss has never actually seen or observed these benefits to the company. So, if you have made unique contributions that are measurable, wield these during your request. If you have customer testimonials, these are gold! Make sure and highlight all of your achievements, especially in the past year. Another piece of evidence you can arm yourself with is salary statistics based on industry standards. Is yours below the average? It may be that your boss is so genuinely busy doing his own day to day tasks, that he or she is unaware of the lay of the land.
Choose The Right Time:
If your company holds annual reviews, this is not a good time to hammer the boss for more money! Chances are, he or she will be getting the same requests from everyone they have to review for the year, and your request has the chance to be “snowed under” or forgotten. A far better time is to wait until such a time as your own tasks change, or you have performed a task that is beneficial to the company, or has added value to the company. Say for example, you’ve just completed an important project for the company. You could approach your boss, demonstrating the value added to the company, and requesting that you share in that added value by way of a raise.
Don’t Lose Heart to a Rejection:
There’s always a chance your boss may decline your request, but it’s important not to lose heard. Request that you revisit the scenario in a few months, and there may be a chance that you then get that all needed raise. It may simply not be in the budget right now, but later on down the road, there’s always hope!
